An Oklahoma man was arrested and charged with child sexual abuse after his 11-year-old stepdaughter gave birth at their home in Muskogee.
After the child gave birth to a full-term infant at home on August 16, Dustin Walker, 34, and Cherie Walker, 33, were taken into custody last week and initially charged with one count of felony child maltreatment each, according to court documents. At first, the parents said they were unaware of the child’s pregnancy and that it had been more than a year since the child had visited the doctor.
The charges were amended Monday after DNA test results revealed that the stepfather was a 99.9% DNA match for the baby’s father, according to the test, which the Muskogee County District Attorney’s Office shared with NBC News.
According to court documents, Dustin Walker is accused of sexually abusing the girl, who was 11 years old at the time, on or between January 1 and August 16, which caused her to give birth to his kid. Cherie Walker, her mother, was accused of permitting child sex abuse.
In a statement, Muskogee County Assistant District Attorney Janet Hutson said, “This is one of the most, if not the most, serious child sexual abuse and neglect cases I have ever prosecuted.”
The couple were also charged with six counts of felony child neglect, including failing to provide the 11-year-old with adequate medical care and supervision when she gave birth at home, according to court documents. The remaining five counts of child neglect allege neglect of the five children they share, ages 2, 4, 6, 7 and 9, on or between Jan. 1 and Aug. 16. The children were “living in deplorable conditions,” according to the documents.
The children were removed from the home Tuesday, according to court records.
“The victims were found to be living in dog feces and had no clothing on,” court documents say.
Bond was set at $100,000 each, according to court records. A sounding docket court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3.
“Each of the charges against both defendants are punishable by up to life,” Hutson said.
It is not clear whether Dustin and Cherie Walker are being represented by attorneys.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
